Device for projecting an object in a space inside a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A device for projecting an object in a space of a vehicle is described. This object is preferably projected holographically, and a voice input and output system is assigned to this object. An artificial passenger is thus created for a driver.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to a device for projecting an objectin a space of a vehicle.

2. Description of Related Art

U.S. Pat. No. 6,236,968 describes an automatic dialog system which helpsa driver remain alert by conducting a conversation with the driver ondifferent topics. For this purpose, the system has a voice recognitionmodule and a speech generating module. Speech synthesis or stored speechmay be used for this purpose.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to project an object in a space of avehicle, which displays an object artificially.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved by artificiallydisplaying an object which can be an artificial figure, an animal, oranother creature-like representation, such as fantasy creatures. Anobject may also be displayed using this device. The driver is thusprovided with an artificial companion and a helper in a very intuitivemanner. Space in this context refers to the passenger compartment. Bydisplaying animals, mythical creatures, or objects, a pleasantenvironment may be created for the driver, so that a human voice ordirectly addressing a person may be dispensed with, and the driver'sattention may also be drawn to different driving situations by thebarking of a dog, for example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to thefollowing drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows the driver and the passenger projection.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the device according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 shows another block diagram of the device according to thepresent invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is advantageous in particular that a voice input and output isassociated with the device. A voice recognition system and a voicesynthesis, i.e., voice generating system, are thus associated with thedevice. This enables the preferably projected figure to output speechand process the driver's statements. A dialog between people may thus besimulated, which helps the driver to kill time, for example, and enablesthe driver to receive useful instructions regarding rest periods,driving conditions, or technical monitoring of the vehicle via theartificial figure. Speech analysis, i.e., the driver's statements, alsoallows conclusions to be drawn regarding the driver's condition. Thedynamics of the speech, diction, and accentuation allow conclusions tobe drawn regarding the driver's degree of excitement or condition ingeneral.

It is furthermore advantageous that the device is configured forholographic projection of the figure. The well-known technology ofholography permits a figure's projection to be representedthree-dimensionally. This allows a mature and reliable technology, whichis also very flexible, to be used.

In addition, it is advantageous that the device allows the driver toselect the figure to be projected. This selection may concernappearance, voice, sex, and size as exemplary selection parameters. Thedriver may thus create a pleasant artificial companion forhimself/herself. This should also contribute to an improved drivingstyle. The selection may be supported by a stored catalog of typicalhuman figures, for example. When making this selection, the driver mayuse his/her own stored data or data captured via communication means tocreate the appropriate figure. For example, a driver may select his orher spouse or friend for the projection.

It is furthermore advantageous that the device is connectable to asensor system for monitoring the driver and/or the vehicle, the deviceinfluencing the projection of the figure and the speech output as afunction of a first signal of the sensor system. This enables theartificial figure to respond to the driver's actions and the conditionof the vehicle. A particularly human behavior is thus artificiallysimulated. Driver support, i.e., a driver assistance system, may thus beimplemented. Using this data, the projected figure may provide thedriver with instructions regarding driving style, technical conditions,or the route selected by the driver. The projected figure may also calmthe driver down or prevent the driver from falling asleep. Byappropriately configuring the computing capability assigned to theartificial figure to process these sensor signals and respond in anappropriate manner, the behavior of the artificial figure may berefined.

It is furthermore advantageous that the device projects the figure as afunction of a second signal from a seat occupancy recognition system.The projected figure is only projected if the seat on which the figureis to be projected is unoccupied. The figure itself may be projected asa sitting person or as a smaller person floating in space. It is alsopossible, for example, to only project part of the figure, for example,the head with the upper body.

It is furthermore advantageous that the device is connected to at leastone communication means in such a way that the device influences theprojection of the figure as a function of a third signal from thecommunication means. This permits, for example, persons called on thephone to be represented by the projection as if they were present in thevehicle. This makes a particularly lively discussion or a particularlynatural sounding conversation possible. The data for representing thisfigure may be previously stored in a memory located in the vehicle or itmay be transmitted via the communication means. The data may begenerated at the same time by the conversation partner via anappropriate scanning device at the person's location so that the personis then reproduced live as a projection in the vehicle.

FIG. 1 shows the driver and the passenger projection; FIG. 2 shows ablock diagram of the device according to the present invention; and FIG.3 shows another block diagram of the device according to the presentinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The number of accidents due to fatigue has increased sharply in the pastfew years. In Germany such accidents cost approximately 10 billion eurosa year. The reason is driver fatigue, in addition to alcohol. There is aneed in particular in commercial vehicles. Such systems are classifiedas driver assistance systems and are expected to experience considerablegrowth in the future. Different concepts exist today to prevent a driverfrom falling asleep. As a rule, systems which monitor the driver's voiceor monitor the driver via a video camera and take appropriate measuresto prevent the driver from falling asleep are used.

According to the present invention, an artificial passenger, i.e., aperson or another object, is projected, preferably in the area of thepassenger seat to support the driver and warn him of fatigue.Holographic techniques may preferably be used for this purpose. Thesystem may be conceived as an extension of existing systems or as astandalone application. The driver may select a pleasant male or femaleconversation partner via appropriate memory devices and menus. Pets orother objects may also be projected.

The artificial passenger may be projected as an optical image in thearea of the passenger seat or the back seat. The artificial graphicpassenger converses with the driver and entertains the driver on longtrips. The system is designed in such a way that the driver may selectwhat the projection is to look like. For example, it is conceivable thata business partner, who then talks over a hands-free device, or a personclose to the driver such as a spouse may be projected.

The system is configured in such a way that a check is first performedto determine whether the passenger seat is occupied. This isaccomplished via a seat occupancy recognition system or via opticalsystems. Weight-based systems or, as mentioned previously, occupantsensing via optical, infrared, ultrasound, or radar waves may be used asa seat occupancy recognition system. Another system, known as apassenger assistance system, checks the driver's input or externalcommunication means such as the telephone and gets the appropriatepassenger to be projected from a memory medium.

Another input into the control unit may be the input of a driverassistance system which also contains a fall-asleep warning system. Thisinput is selected to determine an appropriate response. The advantage isthat the driver may conduct a conversation and also feels like somebodyis present. Furthermore, the driver may be better motivated to take arest. In general, this principle is another possible application intransportation as a communication or safety system.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a driver 3 and a projected passenger 2 in avehicle 1. The projection of this FIG. 2 makes it possible for thedriver to conduct a conversation and obtain valuable drivinginstructions from passenger 2. These instructions may concern driver 3himself, for example, if the sensor system detects driver fatigue orstress situations, or it may concern technical information which may becommunicated to the driver by the passenger, so that the driver possiblydrives to a service location or personally performs technical service onvehicle 1.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the device according to the presentinvention for projecting a figure in a vehicle. A logic 201, preferablya microprocessor, is the core of the device. Processor 201 activatesholographic projection system 202, which projects the image, i.e.,hologram 203, in vehicle 1. Instead of holography, other projectiontechniques may also be used. Future three-dimensional projectiontechniques are also conceivable here. Processor 201 is connected to aseat occupancy recognition system 208. Seat recognition system 208 isused to recognize the occupancy status of the individual seats invehicle 1. Seat recognition system 208 may be designed as a weight-basedsensing system or, as described previously, using sound waves, opticalwaves, or microwaves. A hologram may only be generated on an unoccupiedseat. Furthermore, processor 201 is connected to a driver assistancesystem 204. Driver assistance system 204 is designed in particular as afalling-asleep prevention system. Driver 3 is also supported technicallyby driver assistance system 204 via projected FIG. 2. Technical supportmeans that the driver is given valuable instructions for driving thevehicle. Processor 201 is informed via block 206 what hologram 203 is tolook like. This is accomplished by inputs by driver 3 via input devices,which are not depicted here for the sake of simplicity. These inputs mayalso be stored data brought into vehicle 1 by driver 3. However, driver3 may also compose or select an appropriate figure via input devices.For this purpose, a connection may be established, for example, to theInternet, i.e., an external memory. However, block 206 is also connectedto communication means, such as a telephone 207, which may alsodetermine the representation of hologram 203. The device may beconfigured in such a way that in the event of a call, the projectedfigure looks like the caller. The data for this purpose may already bestored in memory 205 or is transmitted via communication means 207. Thecaller may be scanned at the other end of the telephone connection toproject a live image in vehicle 1 of the caller.

FIG. 3 shows another block diagram of the device according to thepresent invention. Processor 301 is connected to a holographic projector304 which projects the appropriate figure as an artificial passenger.Furthermore, processor 301 is connected to a microphone 303 and aspeaker 302, which are used as a voice input/output system. For thispurpose, processor 301 or the associated processors have voice analysisalgorithms and speech synthesis algorithms. Stored speech may also beused here. Recorded speech of the driver in particular may also be usedfor analyzing the driver's emotional state. This may be supplemented bya camera 305 and other biometric sensors used alternatively oradditionally. These other biometric sensors will also be sensorsconnected to the driver, for example, to record his/her pulse rate. Itis furthermore possible that image analysis algorithms are assigned tocamera 305 for conclusions to be drawn from the image regarding thecondition of driver 3. An emotional state recognition system alsobelongs to this algorithm which recognizes whether the driver's eyes arewide open or gradually closing. Furthermore, processor 301 is connectedto a vehicle sensor system 306. Vehicle sensor system 306 is used forprojected passenger 2 to convey important technical information todriver 3, so that driver 3 may better respond to a certain drivingsituation or the technical condition of the vehicle. Finally, processor301 is connected to a transceiver device 307, which transmits andreceives data via an antenna 308. This may be a mobile telephone, forexample.

If the driver selects three characteristics of the figure to beprojected, this may be done by appearance, voice, sex, and size. Otherattributes, such as clothing, may also be selected here. For example,the driver may specify whether he/she wishes to see the entire figure oronly parts thereof. The technical information transmitted by artificialpassenger 2 to driver 3 includes, in addition to a falling-asleepwarning, advice to observe rest periods, to stop at a service station,or to perform some other technical service on the vehicle. The functionsshown in FIGS. 2 and 3 may also be further combined or only partsthereof may be used.

1. A device configured to project an image of a passenger FIG. (2) in apassenger space of a vehicle (1) defined by an area that extends upwardfrom a vehicle seat, wherein: the device is further configured toprovide acoustic information to the driver of the vehicle from anacoustic sound source; the acoustic sound source is associated with theprojected image of the passenger figure in the passenger space; and thedevice projects the FIG. (2) as a function of a signal from a seatoccupancy recognition system (208).
 2. The device according to claim 1,wherein: the device is configured for holographic projection of the FIG.(2); and the device projects the FIG. (2) as a function of a signal froma seat occupancy recognition system (208).
 3. The device according toclaim 1, wherein the device is configured in such a way that the deviceallows the driver (3) to select the FIG. (2) to be projected.
 4. Thedevice according to claim 1, wherein the device is assigned a voiceinput and output (302, 303).
 5. The device according to claim 4, whereinthe device is configured for holographic projection of the FIG. (2). 6.The device according to claim 5, wherein the device is configured insuch a way that the device allows the driver (3) to select the FIG. (2)to be projected.
 7. The device according to claim 4, wherein the deviceis configured in such a way that the device allows the driver (3) toselect the FIG. (2) to be projected.
 8. The device according to claim 1,wherein: the device is configured for holographic projection of the FIG.(2); and the device is configured in such a way that the device allowsthe driver (3) to select the FIG. (2) to be projected.
 9. A deviceconfigured to project an image of a passenger FIG. (2) in a passengerspace of a vehicle (1) defined by an area that extends upward from avehicle seat, wherein: the device is further configured to provideacoustic information to the driver of the vehicle from an acoustic soundsource; the acoustic sound source is associated with the projected imageof the passenger figure in the passenger space; the device is assigned avoice input and output (302, 303); the device is connectable to a sensorsystem (305, 306) for monitoring the driver (3) or the vehicle (1), thedevice being configured in such a way that the device influences theprojection of the FIG. (2) and the voice output as a function of a firstsignal of the sensor system (305, 306); and the device projects the FIG.(2) as a function of a second signal from a seat occupancy recognitionsystem (208).
 10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the device isconnected to a communication means (207, 307, 308) in such a way thatthe device influences the projection of the FIG. (2) as a function of athird signal from the communication means (207, 307, 308).
 11. Thedevice according to claim 10, wherein the device is configured in such away that the device allows the driver (3) to select the FIG. (2) to beprojected.
 12. The device according to claim 10, wherein the device isconfigured for holographic projection of the FIG. (2).
 13. The deviceaccording to claim 12, wherein the device is configured in such a waythat the device allows the driver (3) to select the FIG. (2) to beprojected.
 14. The device according to claim 9, wherein the device isconfigured for holographic projection of the FIG. (2).
 15. The deviceaccording to claim 9, wherein the device is configured in such a waythat the device allows the driver (3) to select the FIG. (2) to beprojected.
 16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the device isconfigured for holographic projection of the FIG. (2).